I’m so glad it didn’t end up worse. Frankly it’s a miracle you’ve got a sense of humour
after this. Sometimes I guess things are so crap all you can do is laugh, right?’
Nadina gave a thumbs-up. I moved to hug her, then stopped as I realized I’d knock the bandages. Nads rolled her eyes and I laughed. Suddenly things felt a lot more comfortable between us.
Weird, I thought. Right now we couldn’t communicate properly. And yet somehow I’d managed to say more to her than I ever had before.
Nadina mimed. I realized she was pretending to speak on a phone.
‘Want your mobile?’
She pointed at me. I took mine out of my pocket. Nadina held out her hand. I gave it over and she started pressing buttons. I realized she was texting.
‘Nads . . .’ I said, suddenly wary. She ignored me. After about a minute, she handed my phone back. She’d written me a message on the New Text screen.
Gotta say sorry 2 u. I did something really crap that makes me a bad mate. Forgive me Im?
She was looking away. Moisture glistened in her eyes. So she
had
blabbed to Ollie about me going to Sam’s!
My insides knotted in hurt. Yet despite that, I couldn’t bring myself to let rip. I cared more about Nads than I was mad right now.
‘It’s OK,’ I said, meeting her eyes. ‘It’s happened, I can deal with it, and I don’t want you stressing. I’m not mad.’
Nadina seemed to sag in relief. She traced a smile over the bandage. To show I meant it, I smiled myself.
I was just handing her my mobile so she could type something else when her mum returned. It was fine though. We’d said what we needed. I left. Outside it was beginning to drizzle. As I
headed back the way I’d come I felt my mobile vibrate.
Slowly and uneasily I took it out. But it was only Ollie, asking how Nadina was. I’d texted him earlier, telling him what had happened and that I was going to the hospital to see her and
might not be able to see him until the afternoon.
She’s battered but OK, I texted back.
When I got out on to the main road I saw the bus I needed just leaving the stop. It would be a good fifteen minutes until the next one, knowing what Sunday service was like. Might as well walk
instead. It would give me thinking time.
Two weeks ago Sam had seen the attack on Hamdi Gul. He’d been close enough to be recognized. Mia, who was maybe a cousin, had been there too but hadn’t been part of the action. For
whatever reason, Sam hadn’t gone to the police. The week after, he’d stayed in the house as much as possible, scared. He’d come out on Saturday night though – to find me. To
tell me something, and not that he fancied me. Before we could talk, the accident had happened.
The people who tried to run him down are the ones Sam saw in the shop, I thought. Murder didn’t seem such a far-fetched explanation now Hamdi was dead.
And after Sam disappeared I’d been chased and started getting those texts. Was what had been happening to me connected to Sam? If I could understand that, I might be able to do
something.
I turned the corner on to a quieter street and right into a gust of wind. Man, I could do with another layer. I decided to cut down another small road, a more direct route home. It was only
further along that I realized I was being followed.
This wasn’t me being jumpy. Out on the main road it had been less noticeable, but here it was obvious. What was more, the guy wore khaki. A coat I recognized from the park.
Once again I felt my pulse race.
Perhaps they’d come from the skatepark. It was just round the corner, a well-known spot for trouble to hang out. I should have been more cautious. Could I run? Or would it be better to
pretend I hadn’t noticed? No, then he’d follow me home. If he didn’t already know where I lived, I wasn’t about to show him.
Should I give over the phone? I could get another. It was just a thing after all. But would that be the end of it? And did I want to let him get close,
after this. Sometimes I guess things are so crap all you can do is laugh, right?’
Nadina gave a thumbs-up. I moved to hug her, then stopped as I realized I’d knock the bandages. Nads rolled her eyes and I laughed. Suddenly things felt a lot more comfortable between us.
Weird, I thought. Right now we couldn’t communicate properly. And yet somehow I’d managed to say more to her than I ever had before.
Nadina mimed. I realized she was pretending to speak on a phone.
‘Want your mobile?’
She pointed at me. I took mine out of my pocket. Nadina held out her hand. I gave it over and she started pressing buttons. I realized she was texting.
‘Nads . . .’ I said, suddenly wary. She ignored me. After about a minute, she handed my phone back. She’d written me a message on the New Text screen.
Gotta say sorry 2 u. I did something really crap that makes me a bad mate. Forgive me Im?
She was looking away. Moisture glistened in her eyes. So she
had
blabbed to Ollie about me going to Sam’s!
My insides knotted in hurt. Yet despite that, I couldn’t bring myself to let rip. I cared more about Nads than I was mad right now.
‘It’s OK,’ I said, meeting her eyes. ‘It’s happened, I can deal with it, and I don’t want you stressing. I’m not mad.’
Nadina seemed to sag in relief. She traced a smile over the bandage. To show I meant it, I smiled myself.
I was just handing her my mobile so she could type something else when her mum returned. It was fine though. We’d said what we needed. I left. Outside it was beginning to drizzle. As I
headed back the way I’d come I felt my mobile vibrate.
Slowly and uneasily I took it out. But it was only Ollie, asking how Nadina was. I’d texted him earlier, telling him what had happened and that I was going to the hospital to see her and
might not be able to see him until the afternoon.
She’s battered but OK, I texted back.
When I got out on to the main road I saw the bus I needed just leaving the stop. It would be a good fifteen minutes until the next one, knowing what Sunday service was like. Might as well walk
instead. It would give me thinking time.
Two weeks ago Sam had seen the attack on Hamdi Gul. He’d been close enough to be recognized. Mia, who was maybe a cousin, had been there too but hadn’t been part of the action. For
whatever reason, Sam hadn’t gone to the police. The week after, he’d stayed in the house as much as possible, scared. He’d come out on Saturday night though – to find me. To
tell me something, and not that he fancied me. Before we could talk, the accident had happened.
The people who tried to run him down are the ones Sam saw in the shop, I thought. Murder didn’t seem such a far-fetched explanation now Hamdi was dead.
And after Sam disappeared I’d been chased and started getting those texts. Was what had been happening to me connected to Sam? If I could understand that, I might be able to do
something.
I turned the corner on to a quieter street and right into a gust of wind. Man, I could do with another layer. I decided to cut down another small road, a more direct route home. It was only
further along that I realized I was being followed.
This wasn’t me being jumpy. Out on the main road it had been less noticeable, but here it was obvious. What was more, the guy wore khaki. A coat I recognized from the park.
Once again I felt my pulse race.
Perhaps they’d come from the skatepark. It was just round the corner, a well-known spot for trouble to hang out. I should have been more cautious. Could I run? Or would it be better to
pretend I hadn’t noticed? No, then he’d follow me home. If he didn’t already know where I lived, I wasn’t about to show him.
Should I give over the phone? I could get another. It was just a thing after all. But would that be the end of it? And did I want to let him get close,
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